One of the main objectives of NCIDE is to works towards identifying, recognizing, nurturing, promoting, supporting the IGNOU learners interested in innovations, startups and setting up their own enterprise. It was noticed that many IGNOU learners are interested in developing their enterprises. They do not have proper guidance and support in taking up their business ideas or Startups to the next level. In fact, they need continuous mentoring, hand holding and initial financial support. Moreover, IGNOU students are scattered all over the country. They need to be identified, nurtured and also connected with each other and the mentors. In case of IGNOU, it is possible through technological support.

Keeping it in view, the National Centre for Innovation in Distance Education (NCIDE) at Indira Gandhi National Open University designed and developed a Virtual Incubator named as NCIDE’s Virtual Resource and Incubator for Entrepreneurship Training and Innovation (NVRIETI). The NVRIETI was launched in April, 2020 as a basic version of a virtual incubator. It is more of a knowledge bank with learning resources, virtual training platform for the learners interested in Innovation and Entrepreneurship and a platform for the interested IGNOU learners to Showcase their innovations and startups. It is also a facility to track the progress of the innovators being incubated and supported through NVREITI portal.

The basic objectives of the Virtual Incubator-NVREITI are as follows:

1. Providing pre-incubation support and guidance for identifying the problem areas and ideation for innovative solutions to the problems,

2. Providing an online system to facilitate and support the potential innovator and entrepreneur students of IGNOU in incubating their ideas and converting them into start-ups,

3. Building a vibrant virtual innovation and startup ecosystem, by establishing a network between learners, alumni, academia, financial institutions, industries and other institutions,

4. Tracking their progress using analytics and the various components of the idea to startup lifecycle and provide handholding and mentoring support in virtual mode,

5. Creating a network of entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, volunteers, and service providers together to help IGNOU learners interested in setting up their startups/enterprise,

6. Facilitating the potential innovators and entrepreneurs for connecting them with the nearby physical incubators and accelerators for the lab based support and guidance, if required to nurture their start-ups, and

7. Making students aware of various funding opportunities and facilitating them to get financial support through different sources.